WINERY WEDDING VENUE IN NIAGARA: CHATEAU DES CHARMES // PHILOSOPHY STUDIOS

May 23

Like many couples during the pandemic, Sabrina and Michael found themselves having to pivot their original wedding plans. They were married in an intimate ceremony in 2021, and were finally able to gather with their loved ones for a vow renewal in 2022. Surrounded by the vineyards at Chateau des Charmes winery, they created a Tuscan-inspired celebration where the happiness, love, and support of their family and friends was palpable.

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Photographer: Philosophy Studios

How long had you and your partner been together prior to your wedding? We met in 2015, and started dating early 2016. We officially got married during the covid lockdown when there were tough restrictions in 2021. At our 2021 wedding, we were only allowed to have our immediate families and our siblings present. So our 2022 wedding vow renewal and celebration was so special to share with our family and friends.

How did you feel the morning of your wedding? Very relaxed. Since we had already been married for over a year, and this was a party and vow renewal, we were both very excited and chill the morning of. We had each written our own vows this time (as in 2021 we have a church wedding where our vows were prescribed), and we were both giddy to share our own words this time.

What drew you to your venue? When we first started planning our wedding, Michael and I thought about potentially going to Italy to be married. However, we have older grandparents who wouldn't have been able to make it there, so instead we picked for the next best thing, Niagara-on-the-Lake. We loved the vines and old-school feel of Chateau des Charmes. We also loved that we would be able to eat under a tent, and feel like we were basically eating in the vines!

After choosing your wedding venue, did it impact the direction you took for styling and decor? A bit, we stuck with our Tuscan Italian dream and transplanted it here in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

What inspired your colour scheme? The grapes! We wanted soft romantic colours.

How difficult was it to decide on your colour scheme? Not really! We were pretty aligned with our vision early on.

Were your florals exactly how you imagined them? Yes yes and yes! Jess from Fleurish was incredible. At our first wedding, she helped us create a very modified version to help us still feel like our covid lockdown wedding was special. This time, we wanted to go all out! We wanted vines all over the tables with TONS of candles to give that soft romantic feel when the sun set. The arch was perfect that was used as our vow renewal background and then sat behind us during the reception. Jess and us went back a few times to ensure that everything was perfect and fit right into our Tuscan Italian vision!

Did you incorporate any personal accents into your day? If so, what and why? There were lots of little things! We didn't want to do a traditional desert/cake. Instead, we went with a gelato bar! The gelato was supplied by Gelato di Carlotta, and as soon as I told Michael it was an Italian family from Florence (his favourite place in the world), he was sold! We also had other deserts that reflected our cultural backgrounds- canoili from our favourite bakery in Toronto, a massive cookie table of all Italian deserts, Portugese custard tarts (pastis de nata). Also a very important thing to me, was honouring my nonna maria. She passed away a few months after we got engaged. She was my best friend and biggest support. I had her engagement ring on which I wore on my right hand and that helped to feel like she was there with us.

How did you include those who couldn’t be with you on your special day? Between Michael and I, 6/8 of our grandparents are deceased. To honor each of their memories, we had their images shared on the welcome table.

Did the day go according plan? No, of course not! But our wedding planner was amazing, and she helped to facilitate and fix any of the issues that did arise. i.e. people were still at the venue having glasses of wine when our wedding guests were arriving, the tent was only available for set up an hour before guests were scheduled to arrive. Our photographer was really ill (we missed you Eva!) and we had to have a back up photographer attend the wedding to take photos (Joel was amazing!). But, honestly, Michael and I didn't realize/care about the little mishaps as we were just so excited and had a wedding planner take care of all the little things.

Did you hire a wedding planner? We did! BEST DECISION EVER! She took over 6 weeks before, and was an organized machine! Carmen Tan from Carmen Tan Events was incredible. She made it so much easier for Michael and I to have fun during the evening.

Would you have done anything differently planning-wise? No. We had two incredible weddings 2021 and 2022 and they both were so special and magical in their own way.

Did you take on any project(s) of your own that you wish you had hired a professional for?
(ie. making your own cake, florals, invitations, etc) We created all the signage- table numbers, seating chart, table numbers, signs, menus. We created baskets of flat shoes and scarves for people in the event their shoes hurt or if it was too cold (it was not! It was a VERY hot day and night), but our guests really appreciated them both! Also, the baskets in the bathroom were a BIG hit! We made care kits for both the women's and men's bathrooms and everyone mentioned how helpful it was to have things like makeup wipes, extra bobby pins, mints, hygiene products, etc.

What advice would you give to a couple who are in the process of planning their wedding?

— Do what makes you happy. Everyone is going to have an opinion, so focus on what both you and your partner want.

— There will always be a plan B if something doesn't go to plan....and be prepared for things to go wrong. At the end of the day, all that matters is the love you and your partner have for one another. (when our first wedding was totally replanned 2 weeks before it was supposed to happen because of the government restrictions, I thought our whole wedding was doomed. Instead, it was the most magical thing that could have happened to us. We got to share the most important portion of the celebration with the people that meant the most to us, and then got to share our love all over again with the rest of our friends and family. In the end, I am so grateful for how things turned out, as we got an intimate ceremony, and the party and celebration of our dreams!)

— While you may have to make sacrifices, be sure to discuss them with your partner.

— Also, try your best to be as organized as possible. Create multiple spread sheets, have folders for all your documents and contracts, and have a contingency fund for extra costs that you might not be thinking about when you first create your budget. Staying organized is the most important.